Mick Karolac's Page

Favorite website

http://www.wimp.com/

Favorite blog

http://whats a blog? Ha ha ha

Pittsburgh Connection

Hmmm,
Pgh connection...

Well -- I have been kicking around Pgh since 1981,
I was in on the early days (80's - early 90's) of the whole South Side slacker art/music/Beehive scene.
I now am married and living with my little wife in Sq Hill.
I have a dream of transforming the world through human connections - one person, one couple, one family, one community, and on and on until we are all tied in together (and listening to great music!)

Favorite Pittsburgh musicians/performers

Oh my - uh, not many to be honest.

Soma Mestiso,
Chai Baba,
I used to LOVE 210, hmmm...

Roger Barbour Quartet is the BOMB for jazz in this town!

You know, I am not enthused about the Pgh music scene at all anymore, especially the jazz thing - I think it is very much insider-like and elite, not my style at all.

Used to love listening to Shotgun Gerald at the Kings and Queens years ago, eh.

I like what Ben Opie and Darryl Flemming are up to...Watershed, Opek, I like that weirdo stuff.
(this town needs to shake it up Jazz-wise speaking!)

Favorite Jazz Radio or media station

I can't stand the WIMPY, the safe mainstream jazz format of WDUQ,
Pittsburgh, a one-jazz-station town.
WDUQ, playing almost exclusively middle-road jazz, I mean WTF?
(Don't get me started---> can you tell???)
I just listen to the station for the NPR, then click it off.
I guess Tony Mowod has a different agenda than I do too - I like my jazz raw, unvarnished, and unpredictable.

No I am not a snob, just jazz-edgy :)
What can I say?

Favorite Pittsburgh Jazz Venue

None, I don't think we have any. I used to dig jazz at the Rosebud. Really enjoyed the Graffiti too. I am not into fancy joints or expensive places - used to LOVE the Kings and Queens on Fifth ave in the Uptown section.

LOVED Crawford Grill in the Hill, too.

Anyone help me out with comparable suggestions - feel free to PM me???

I would do jazz in Pgh if there was a nice dive bar, un-fancy, just good jazz without all the polish - that is what I am into...

About Me:

I play the Djembe now in Three Rivers Thunder Drum Circle (http://drumcircle.meetup.com/20/).--- religiously.

Used to play the drum kit, but no more. Now I just wail on one drum - haven't looked back once!
I see myself playing jazz on the djembe someday - whatta ya know huh?

At the ripe old age of 40 I went back to school - to Pitt - to eventually be a social work professional working on the level of community organizing and pulling folks together to get things done.

I am committed to us working together to transform our societal ills!

I live to listen to jazz, world music, some rock (esp out and about on the MP3 player), REGGAE, funk, some blues... as long as it is interesting and challenges me.

Commercial music, and almost everything associated, sucks big time!

Website:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThreeRiversThunder

Artist or Fan

artist, fan, student